Toy



W. B. BETTS I Feb. 20, 1940.

TOY

Filed Nov; 25, 1958 Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE 2,191,305 I t I TOY William B. Betts, Binghamton, N. v. Application November 23, 1938, Serial No. 241,962 6 Claims. (01. 46 -80) This invention relates to toys and more par ticularly to a toy airplane, itbeing one object of the invention to provide a toy of this type adapted to be projected'into the air andthen glide back to earth.

Another object of the invention isto provide the toy airplane with a body carrying wings and a rudder which. are adapted to be folded during projection of the airplane into the air and thus reduce wind resistance so that it may be projected a maximumdistance before it ceases its upward movement and starts back to the ground, the wings and rudder at this time being returned to their normal position in order to cause proper gliding movement. and guiding during descent to the ground. I

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means at the nose or front of the airplane for engaging a line carried by the wings and securing the wings in their folded position, the line engaging means being so mounted that it may move into position to release the line when the airplane reaches its maximum altitude and starts downwardly.

Another object of the invention is to provide.

a toy airplane wherein a cord is provided for causing uplifting of therudder when the wings move to an extended position, the cord also serving as means for limiting forward movement of the wings and preventing them from being swung forwardly too far.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a toy of this character which is quite simple in construction and very easy to operate.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanya ing drawing, wherein? Fig. l is a top plan view of the toy airplan with the wings spread for gliding.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the airplane with the Wings and rudder folded.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the airplane during projection into the air.-

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the airplane gliding to a landing.

Fig. 5 is a rear view with the'wings and ruddfer folded.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the tail portion of the airplane.

Fig. '7 is a view on an enlargedsoale, showing" the keeper at the front end of the airplane body in front elevation.

This toy airplane has an elongated body! which is preferably formed of a strip of light wood but may be formed of any material found suitable. The strip or body may be of any length desired and in spaced relation to its ends has its under face notched as shown at 2, so that the body may be engaged with a catapult and projected into the air. The catapult is not illustrated as any conventional type desired may be employed, such as a sling shot, throwing stick,

or the like. A horizontal stabilizer or tail unit 3, which may be formed of light wood or sheet metal, is mounted at the rear end of the body and above this tail unit is mounted a rudder 4 which is foldable transversely of the body from the upright operativefposition' shown in Fig. l, to the folded or inoperative position shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Therudder may be formed of cardboard. or other pliable material which can be 'foldedfrom the upright position to the reclining position, or it maybe formed of stiff sheet material and hinged for folding movement transversely of the body from its upright position to a folded position. It should also be noted that when the rudder is its upright position, it extends at a rearward incline, as shown inFig. 4, to cut down wind resistance and prevent the rudder from being torn or loosened during use of the toy.

The wings 5, by means of which the airplane glides to a landing after, being projected into the air, are mounted adjacent the front end of the body or strip 1, through the medium of a bracket 6 which is secured to the-upper edge face of the body by a clip I and upon referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the inner end portions of the wings which are cut diagonally, as

shown at 8, are pivoted to the bracket by a pin 9rwhich passes through the bracket and the inner end portions of the wingsand may extend into and through the body to firmly hold the pin in place. The Wings are urged forwardly from the folded position in which they extend longi tudinally of the body, by elastic members such as rubber bands Ill, and'forward movement of the wings beyond the position shown in Fig. 1, will be prevented by engagement of inner end portions of the wings with the front of the bracket.

A cord I I is jacent the front-edge thereof and midway of its height, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6 and this cord extends forwardly from opposite sides. of the rudder and has its ends secured to the rear edge portions of the wings in spaced relation to their ends, as shown atv l2 in Fig. 1. Knots are formed in the string or cord at opposite sides of the rudder to prevent sliding of the cord through threaded through the rudder adwhen the wings are folded rearwardly to the inoperative position, the rudder may be depressed to its folded position. When the wings are swung forwardly to extended position they exert pull on the cord and cause the rudder to be swung upwardly to a raised position where it will be braced from opposite sides and held in position for use. The cord not only serves as flexible means for shifting the rudder upwardly to a raised position for use but will also constitute means for assisting limitation of forward movement of the wings beyond the position shown in Fig. 1

The wings are to be held in the folded posi' tion during projection of the airplane into the air and in order to do so, there has been pro- 1 vided a cord 53 which has one end secured to one of the wings by a staple M. and hasits other end portion passed through a guiding eye or staple l5 carried by the other wing. The guild-- ing eye it is located midway between the front and rear edges of the wing carrying the same and the cord it passes freely through it so that it can slide easily during movement of the wings from the folded position to the extended position for use. When the wings are in folded position, the cord is drawn forwardly and its free end, which is formed with a knot M, is engaged through the notch 55 at the upper end of the sheet metal keeper it. This keeper. is pivotally mounted between the brackets ll secured to opposite side faces of the body 6 and the lower portion of the metal strip from which the keeper is formed is bent to provide a shank it disposed at such an angle that it will fit fiat against the under edge face of the body when the keeper is in the position shown in Fig. 3. The shank serves as a lever adapted to be urged rearwardly by rearward rush of air when the airplane is discharged into the air and maintain the keeper in position to hold the cord it under tension and hold the wings in their folded position. As soon as the airplane reaches its maximum altitude, the pressure of air against the lever 38 will no longer be sufficient to hold the keeper in the position shown in Fig. 3, and it-will swing to the position shown in a, and since the upper slotted end of the keeper will then be tilted rearwardly, the knotted end of the cord 53 may easily slip out of the slot l5 and allow the elas tics 10 to swing the wings forwardly to an extended position where they will support the airplane. for gliding movement hack to the ground. During this gliding descent, the rudder vn'll be held in its upright position and the airplane will be caused to glide in a straight path'to the ground. A cord It extends longitudinally of the body I under the same with its rear end secured to the tail unit 3 and its front end secured to the lip 21 at the lower end of the shank or lever g Illv This cord serves to limit forward movement of the shank beyond the position shovm in Fig. 4, and prevents the keeper from moving to a position in which the front end of the cord 13 might become caught and fail to release itself from the slot of the keeper v The operation of the toy airplane is as fol lows: l/Vhen it is desired to project it into the air, the wings are folded rearwardly and the rudder folded downwardly laterally of the body, the cord I3being drawn forwardly through the guide l5 and its knotted free end engaged through the slit E5 of the keeper so thatthe wings and rudder will be retained in the folded positions. The airplane with the wings and rud, der folded, is grasped in one hand and pull may be exerted upon the cord 19 to hold the keeper in the position of Fig. 3, and the rubber band of a sling shot engaged through the notch 2 and pull exerted to stretch the rubber band so that when the airplane is released, it will be projected upwardly into the air. The rush of air past the shank i8 holds the shank against the under edge face of the body or strip 5 during upward movement of the airplane, but as forward movement of the airplane ceases and the weight of the keeper and brackets ll cause the front end of the body to tilt downwardly, the keeper will swing toward the position of Fig. 4, and the knotted end of the cor-d 53 will be released and the rubber bands ill will swing the wings outwardly and forwardly to their extended position in which position they will support the airplane for gliding movement to the ground,

and pull of the wings upon the cord l i will swing the rudder to a raised position where it will be held in its upright position to guide movement of the airplane during its forward gliding descent. When the airplane makes a landing it may be picked up and again discharged into the air.

Having thus described the invention, what'is claimed is:

l. A toy airplane comprising a body, wings movable from an extended position projecting from opposite sides of body to a' rearward folded position longitudinally over the body, a rudder at the rear of the body foldable transversely thereof from an upright position to a folded position transversely of the body, a connection between the rudder and said wings holding the rudder in its upright position when the wings are extended, means for urging said wings toward their extended position, retainer for holding the wings in folded position, and a keeper for engaging said retainer and releasably holding the same in position to maintain the wings folded.

2. A toy airplane comprising a body, wings movable from an extended position to a folded position, a rudder movable from an upright position to a folded position, a connection between the wings and the rudder for adjusting the rudder and maintaining the same upright when the wings are extended, a member for holding the wings in their folded condition. and a keeper for engaging said member and releasably se curing the same with the wings folded.

3. A toy airplane comprising a body, wings pivoted adjacent the front end of said bodyfor swinging movement rearwardly from an extended position projecting from opposite sides of the body to a folded position longitudinally of the body, a rear rudder movable from an upright position to a folded position, a connecting strand between said rudder and said wings for raising the rudder and holding rudder u when the wings are swung to an extended position, a restraining strand secured to one wing and in threaded engagement with the other wing whereby the free end of the strand may be drawn forwardly when the wings are folded, keeper pivotally mounted at the front of said body and having an upper portion slitted to receive the free end of said restraining strand and releasably holdthe'strand against movement permitting movement 'of the. wings to extended position, said keeper having a lower portion extending downwardly below the body and constituting a lever adapted to be urged rearwardly by wing pressure and str ng the upper'portion of the keeper forwardly to. tension the restraining strand, and a strand extending longitudinally of said body under the same with its front end secured to the lower end of said lever.

4. A toy airplane comprising a body, wings pivoted to said body adjacent the front end thereof for swinging movement from an extended position to a folded position longitudinally of the body, a rudder mounted for movement from an upright position to a folded position transversely of'the body under rear end portions of the folded wings, a flexible strand having its intermediate portion engaged with said rudder,

said strand extending from opposite sides of said thereof for swinging movement from an ex-- tended position to a folded position longitudinally of the body, a rudder mounted for movement from an upright position to a folded position transversely of the body under rear end portions of the folded wings, a flexible strand having its intermediate portion engaged with said rudder, said strand extending from opposite sides of said rubber and having its ends secured to said wings and serving to raise the rudder and hold the rudder in upright position when the wings are swung to an extended position, a

restraining strand secured at one end to one wing and in threaded engagement with the other wing, said strand being drawn forwardly toward the front end of the body when the wings are folded, and a keeper at the front end of said body for engaging the front end of said restraining strand and securing the wings folded, said keeper being tiltable into position to release the restraining strand and permit movement of the wings to extended position and the rudder to upright position.

6. A toy airplane comprising a body, foldable wings for said body, a foldable rudder at the rear end of said body, a restraining strand for holding said wings folded, a keeper for releasably engaging said strand having wind actuated vmeans for moving the keeper into position to tension the strand during projection of the toy airplane into the air, said keeper being movable into position to release said strand when the'forward speed of the airplane is reduced, means for moving the folded wings to extended position for gliding the airplane to a landing, and means for moving the rudder to upright position when the wings are extended.

WILLIAM BETTS. 

